Between 2010 and 2017, Cauli Le Chat, retired feline roving reporter for Mooresville Public Library (Mooresville, Indiana), reported all things interesting to cats (and humans) happening at the library. Related stories from across the state (and beyond) were also included.

Cauli Le Chat

Cauli Le Chat, MPL Roving Reporter

Friday, August 31, 2012

Episode three of MEG-A-RAE, the Library's new vlog or vblog (video blog) series, features a round-table discussion about the BBC television program, Doctor Who, plus Rae and Meg discuss some time travel reading suggestions.

Episode four gets Grimm when Meg and Rae talk about fairy tales and folklore stories.

P.S. I know that there was a new Doctor Who theme song recorded in 2010 for the modern series (now beginning its seventh season), but you probably haven't heard the theme music from the original (or "classic") series, which ran from 1963 through 1989. Here's the TV theme used during 1963-1969.

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Miss Michelle comes to MPL from Plainfield-Guilford Township Public Library, where she served as a librarian assistant. Prior to that, she was banquet room manager at Chateau Thomas Winery.
She is a graduate of Indiana State University and Plainfield (Indiana)
High School, and she resides in Monrovia, so she is nearly a
“Mooresvillian.” (Plainfield is about seven miles north, and Monrovia
about five miles west, of Mooresville.)

Miss Michelle will be undertaking all early literacy programs and
initiatives at the Library. Coming from Plainfield library, she is
already well-versed in Evergreen Indiana, our online open-source integrated library system (or catalog, in the traditional librarian parlance).

Welcome, Miss Michelle! Our staff and patrons look forward to working with you in our youth services programming.

Of course, Michelle's "Cauli name" can't be "Wild Thang" or even "new Wild Thang" (because Miss Jaymi is the one-and-only Wild Thang). So we'll have to wait to see what "Cauli name" best fits Miss Michelle. One good thing about my nicknames: They can make you famous. Or infamous. Right, Scowl-Face?

Welcome, Miss Michelle! Now Get Moi Some Din-Dins,

Cauli Le Chat

MPL Roving Reporter

Library Staff News Beat

P.S. Speaking of names, "I Got a Name" (1973) was a big single hit by Jim Croce and was the theme song to the movie The Last American Hero (1973). It was one of the few songs that Croce recorded that he did not himself compose. (I know I've used this song as a musical closer before, but this is a different video. Last time, I used a live TV appearance of Croce singing the tune.)

You might be surprised to learn that I am totally down with having a national celebration of slobberdogness. Contrary to popular belief, felines and canines get along quite well. What we cats can't tolerate is stupidity, and, although slobberdogs have that in spades, they're pretty sweet about it and, regardless, they're great protectors.

So let's celebrate today in honor of slobberdogs! Special treats, some nice, healthy chews, extra portions at din-dins. and a romp through the local park (on a leash--better safe than sorry).

There must be a gazillion YouTube videos featuring slobberdogs. Shall we feature one? Can do.

Talking slobberdogs. On command, yet. Thankfully, we felines have much more dignity. Still, it's pretty funny.

Happy Slobberdog Day to All My Canine Pals,

Cauli Le Chat

MPL Roving Reporter

Holiday News Beat

P.S. Tommy Boyce & Bobby Hart produced the first Monkees album and wrote many of the group's memorable songs. "Gonna Buy Me a Dog" is certainly their funniest. It appeared on the group's self-titled debut album (1966). Few, if any, of the Monkees' tunes captured the madcap humor of the prefab four as well as this one. Micky Dolenz and the late Davy Jones were clearly having fun recording it.

Saturday, August 25, 2012

Wild Thang, former MPL early literacy specialist but still willing to sub for absent Library staff when she can fit it into her new work schedule, made the "Animal Alphabet Song" video for her early literacy blog. Within the next few days, hers will become the most viewed video on the MPL YouTube Channel.

Which video did "Animal Alphabet Song" leave eating its dust? Well, as it happens, our most popular book trailer.

Both videos should clear 32,000 viewings next week. But it is clear that Wild Thang's will be our new most popular video. It currently is watched over 8,000 times a month. For us, that's staggering.

Congratulations, Wild Thang. Too bad you're not still working here full-time. We could really use your creativity. Now we're stuck with Scowl-Face for video ideas. You can imagine how that's working out. Fortunately, Savvy and Programma Mama are working now on video blogging,
so we're looking forward to their continuing development.

Maybe I Should Become MPL Chief Video Producer -- Just Saying,

Cauli Le Chat

MPL Roving Reporter

Library Video News Beat

P.S. "The Winner Takes It All," by ABBA, seemed like an appropriate musical closer. The song appeared on the album Super Trouper (1980).

Friday, August 24, 2012

The fourth annual MPL mystery dinners have been scheduled for October 19, 2012 (7:00-9:30 p.m.) for adults and October 20, 2012 (7:00-9:30 p.m.) for teens. Registration is required, so click those hyperlinked dates to access our online calendar; or you could call (317) 831-7323. There is a nonrefundable $10 fee per person to reserve your place in the fun.

Sift through the clues and solve the mysteries before dinner--or the bodies--get cold.

Actually, "dinner" is something of a misnomer. Appetizers and beverages will be served. So it's more of a mystery in the stacks sort of event.

We have a program trailer promoting previous incarnations of this program (i.e., murder mysteries), which is fun to watch.

Are Cats Allowed at the Mystery Dinners? Just Asking,

Cauli Le Chat

MPL Roving Reporter

Library Programs News Beat

P.S. Mystery writer Miranda James is a real live cataloging librarian whose main character is a feline detective named Diesel. Here's our book trailer featuring File M For Murder, the latest in the "Cat in the Stacks" mystery series.

Thursday, August 23, 2012

Wild Thang returns to her working roots (here at the Library, I mean). She has arranged a program with the Indiana University Health-Morgan Hospital (in Martinsville, Indiana), which will be providing blood pressure and cholesterol screenings at MPL on Monday, September 10, 2012, from 1-5 p.m.

Want to hear the really exciting part of this program?

A Heart Two Stories Tall!

Yep. I.U. Health-Morgan Hospital will have an inflatable two-story heart that patrons may walk through to learn more about how it works. Well, you have to put air into it . . . Oh, wait. They mean how the heart works, not how the inflatable model works.

Anything that large has got to be fun to romp around in! If you can attend, by all means do. You'll learn more about your heart and get some important health screenings to boot.

I'd Love to Romp Through That Inflatable Heart,

Cauli Le Chat

MPL Roving Reporter

Health Programs News Beat

P.S. "Heart of Gold" was a huge hit single for Neil Young, but you should really listen to the entire album, Harvest (1972).

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Our colleagues at Greenwood Public Library (GPL) are sponsoring a fund-raiser for their library featuring famous former Indiana University men's basketball coach Bob Knight. Fans of "the General" will want to attend this event. Knight is always an interesting speaker with a lifetime of sports stories to share, mixed with some homespun wisdom.

Click Image to Bigify

Proceeds from this event directly support Greenwood Public Library, which needs your financial assistance to continue providing its award-winning programs and resources. Did you know that (this year) the Public Library Association (PLA) of the American Library Association (ALA) has honored GPL staff for their professional contributions? Youth services instructors at the highly-rated Indiana University Schools of Library & Information Science (SLIS) (there are two of them, in Indianapolis and Bloomington) have used GPL's youth services department as a top model for their students. GPL staff routinely offer workshops at annual state and national library conferences. It is a fine library worthy of our support. Plus, GPL is an Evergreen Indiana library (same as mine), so E.I. cardholders who support GPL are, in effect, supporting one of their own libraries.

Thanks For Your Generous Support of GPL,

Cauli Le Chat
MPL Roving Reporter
E.I. Libraries News Beat

P.S. Here's a short video clip announcing Ohio State University's tribute to Coach Knight, who played for the Buckeyes men's basketball team during 1958-1962 (including its 1960 NCAA championship team). How they found those old media film clips amazes moi.

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Episode two of the Library's vlog, MEG-A-RAE, is now available on the MPL YouTube Channel. Save a hyperlink and watch it here.

YAZ Would Make a Great Kitty Room--Just Saying,

Cauli Le Chat

MPL Roving Reporter

Library Vlog News Beat

P.S. Since Savvy and Programma Mama began by talking about the 2012 summer Olympics in London, I titled this blog posting along the lines of the "British invasion" of the American pop charts during the mid-1960s. The Beatles, of course, were largely responsible for this musical incursion, which began (in America, at least) with the group's first number one U.S. single, "I Want to Hold Your Hand" (1963), which reached Billboard's number one slot in early 1964. "Love Me Do" was an earlier single release (1962 in the U.K.), which also topped the American charts in 1964. "Love Me Do" appeared on the album Please Please Me (1963).

MEG-A-RAE is the latest vlog (video blog) at my Library. Savvy and Programma Mama chat with viewers about the readers' advisory thing. They review new, exciting books for teens (young adults) and grown-ups ("old" adults), plus they discuss current events and how they like their tea. It is quirky, off-beat, and informative, as you would expect from an award-winning library.

P.S. The theme music for Meg-a-Rae was written by the Library's composer, whom I call the Music Man. It is "The Andromeda Cometh," from the CD Andromeda (2011). Here is the entire song for your listening pleasure.

Monday, August 20, 2012

My Library has just made a promo trailer for 2012 Banned Books Week, which is September 30 through October 6, and which this year features a virtual read-out of banned books. It is the 30th anniversary of BBW, and this year's theme celebrates "30 years of liberating literature." For more information, visit the American Library Association (ALA) website.

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

My paws would love these dolls to bat around. I could catch them in the air with my claws, grab them in my mouth and run wildly through the stacks, sending miniature plastic body parts asunder all around the Library. But that would be bad kitty, so says Broadway Gal. So they're safe from moi behind glass in the MPL Youth Services display case.

Click Images to Bigify

Close-ups? Can do.

These beautiful creations were generously donated to the Library by Jim & Carolyn Cox.

﻿Handy, these post-it notes

(or should I say, "Pawty"? Probably not.)

Stop by MPL Youth Services to see the display in person. Just watch out. I saw some of those dolls move, I swear.

Beautiful Attire & Detail on Those Dolls,

Cauli Le Chat

MPL Roving Reporter

Library Decorations News Beat

P.S. Of the current 166 book trailers on the MPL YouTube Channel, only one is clearly best suited to serve as our posting closer. Watch and see.

Monday, August 13, 2012

All southpaws will be celebrating today (August 13), which is Left-Handers Day. If you lead with your left, then you're entitled to some party favors. As for moi, I'm ambidextrous. Actually, I'm quadridextrous.

Left-handed people are notoriously creative, imaginative, artistic, and visual-oriented--so they tell moi. As a feline, I can't actually tell much difference between left- and right-handed humans. They're still humans, and, therefore, they lack feline intellectual capacities. Still, they're smarter than slobberdogs.

My older minions (the over-fifties) tell moi that left-handers were often compelled in primary educational institutions to learn to write with their right hands instead of their dominant lefts. I wonder how right-handers would have liked that treatment (in reverse)? Seems like another case of the majority (right-handers) exercising tyranny over the minority (left-handers).

When the Lady With the Red Hair and Scowl-Face were in college together, there were huge lecture halls with stiff-backed wooden seats that had tiny writing surfaces affixed to--you guessed it--the right sides. There were a few left-sided desk/chairs in each room--roughly five percent of the total number of seats--so it was clear who was being favored.

Scowl-Face has long advocated that classrooms should be equipped with tables (at which, say, three pupils could simultaneously sit) instead of individual chair/desks, but, as usual, nobody cares what he thinks. It would certainly place lefties and righties on an even playing field, as far as notebook writing is concerned. (Wait--Does anyone actually use pencils/pens and paper in classrooms anymore to take notes? Still, a table would have more room for student laptops or other electronic gizmos.)

All you right-handers out there should treat your lefty pals to some expensive din-dins! You know what I would order, but lefties might have other ideas.

Just Don't Stick Moi With the Check,

Cauli Le Chat

MPL Roving Reporter

Holiday News Beat

P.S. The Beautiful Uglies released "Lefty's Lament" on their album, Soundtrack for an Unmade Film (2011).

Saturday, August 11, 2012

The search is on for a new early literacy specialist at the Library. We are currently reviewing applications and are scheduling interviews for prospective candidates. Nobody could replace Wild Thang (Miss Jaymi Edwards), who is adored by patrons and staff alike for her legacy of early literacy programming. But we are confident that one gem shall be gleaned from the many highly qualified and capable youth services librarians vying for the position.

Sammy the Toucan will help select the new Wild Thang

Check with MPL Youth Services to see when our top job candidates will be demonstrating their young children’s programming skills. Maybe you will have a chance to see them in action!

Stay Tuned to Find Out Who We Choose,

Cauli Le Chat

MPL Roving Reporter

New Hire News Beat

P.S. "Get a Job" (1958), covered here by the Mills Brothers, is a classic "doo-wop" song.

Friday, August 10, 2012

"Flat" Cauli V, or Flat Five for short, was my official stand-in as feline roving reporter at the Old Settlers picnic and festival this week (August 5-7, 2012) at Pioneer Park in Mooresville, Indiana. When the occasional strong breezes weren't blowing her off the Library's booth table, she was greeting patrons and distributing goody bags filled with free fans, pencils, magnets, bookmarks, and assorted informational brochures.

Thursday, August 9, 2012

On the Library's old website, you could click icons on the home page (one of moi, another for Cauli 4 Kids) to go to my blogs. It's different on our new website. You need to visit this web page (http://mooresvillelib.org/community/mpl-blog-archives/) and scroll down until you see hyperlinks to, and descriptions of, my blogs. There are other blogs listed, too, but mine are most important, naturally. You should check out all the blogs, however. There's a lot of great stuff there.

As Always, Thanks For Reading My Blogs,

Cauli Le Chat

MPL Roving Reporter

MPL Blogs News Beat

P.S. Hyperlinks are like doors. The Moody Blues knew all about doors and passageways leading to higher consciousness. "House of Four Doors" appeared in two parts on the group's LP In Search of the Lost Chord (1968), which explored eastern mysticism, spirituality, and consciousness expansion. The Moody Blues performed the song (both parts, I think) on the British television program (or programme, as the Brits say) Colour Me Pop (September 14, 1968).

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

The Library's 2012 Old Settlers float really takes the cake. Our Float Team chose to celebrate the MPL centennial (1912-2012) at the parade on Sunday (August 5, 2012), which opened the annual Old Settlers picnic & festival at Mooresville's Pioneer Park. We've got some snappy photos, which you may click to bigify.

Yes, it's a birthday cake. Those are cupcakes surrounding it. Probably not made with tuna-in-oil, but, hey, humans would probably like them.

This was before the Old Settlers parade, while the Float Team was putting on the finishing touches in the Library parking lot.

Saturday, August 4, 2012

Earlier this week, my Library's website committee met to discuss planning strategies, work assignments, schedules, and such like. One of the agenda items was blogging, and it was decided that some blog posts (for those blogs not granted their own blog pages on our new website) would be included in MPL Blog (on the new website), which those of us blogging would continue to post to our Blogger accounts.

That means my blog will continue right here! No need to go elsewhere, although there will be a few postings uploaded to the new website blog section (under MPL Blog).

We consider this grand news and are quite happy about it.

Glad to Continue Where We Began,

Cauli Le Chat

MPL Roving Reporter

Blog News Beat

P.S. "Stay," by Pink Floyd, appeared on the LP Obscured by Clouds (1972).

Friday, August 3, 2012

Since there are WAAAAY too many people stomping around at the Old Settlers picnic, festival, and parade (August 5-6-7, 2012) for my taste, I'm sending "Flat" Cauli V (Flat Five for short) to serve as the Library's feline roving reporter for this event. She will be hanging out at the MPL Old Settlers booth. There's a photo op if ever there were one.

Flat Five Shines On Brightly

Drop by the Library's Old Settlers booth and chat with Flat Five. She'll talk your ear off. If she doesn't, Scowl-Face will.

Flat Caulis & I Have One Bad Ear Already,

Cauli Le Chat

MPL Roving Reporter

Old Settlers News Beat

P.S. "Shine on Brightly," by Procol Harum, gave its title to the group's second album (1968). From the look of this video, that's the original LP release, which makes it a 44-year-old vinyl record.

Thursday, August 2, 2012

The MPL Composer, whom I call the Music Man, volunteers as a sound engineer at Theatre 7, the community theatre of Decatur, Illinois. In the July 2012 newsletter, Theatre 7 announced that Danny Buckley (I'll use his real name instead of his "Cauli" name) was presented with a merit award (for sound engineering) for the group's 48th season.

We thought that was plenty cool, particularly because the Music Man is part of our volunteer library family. He composes all of the original musical scores the Library uses in its videos. We use other people's music, too (e.g., Wild Thang's early literacy song videos), but mostly we use the Music Man's compositions.

Beside being a composer/sound engineer, the Music Man is also a talented musician. He plays guitar and piano. His original compositions have been publicly performed (here's an example), as has he, or, rather, as he has, as you may recall from a previous blog posting.

Congrats, Music Man! One of many awards, we are confident.

Awards Are Almost as Good as Canned Tuna-in-Oil,

Cauli Le Chat

MPL Roving Reporter

Library Volunteer Award News Beat

P.S. Here's a nice example of one of the Music Man's original scores being used as a soundtrack in the Library's book trailers.

Here is the Library's fourth and final installment in the Summer 2012 video series for Explore to Learn: Early Literacy Fun, the blog/video feature starring Wild Thang (Miss Jaymi Edwards) and Sammy the Toucan.

Tomorrow (Friday, August 3, 2012) is Wild Thang's last day working at MPL. We are SO sad! Sammy the Toucan gave Wild Thang a tearful farewell in this video.

P.S. "Goodbye," written, and a demo recorded, by Paul McCartney (December, 1968) (composition credited to Lennon-McCartney, as was typical during the Beatles days), was, to the best of my knowledge, never released as a Beatles tune, but another Apple recording artist, Mary Hopkin, released it as a chart-topping single. McCartney produced her debut LP, Post Card (1969). To learn more about it, visit the Beatles Rarity website. The video here, with Spanish subtitles, presents a nice selection of Beatles photos and film clips.

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

We have LAUNCH, not lunch. Amazing what a single missing letter can do to a word's meaning (not to mention making my stomach rumble).

Click Image to Bigify

The Library's new website has launched! You may access it by visiting the same old URL (http://www.mooresvillelib.org/). Click the hyperlink, and you're there!

Navigate through the new menu bar and explore the available web pages through our drop-down menus. Click the sidebar videos to watch them. On our home page, you may search the catalog (and also under the Catalog tab), and you may also see current calendar events at the Library (or view the entire calendar).

Have fun! Explore all the new and exciting features our improved website offers. There's quite a bit to play around with. Hopefully, you'll find our new website easier to use, informative, and engaging.

I'd Still Like Lunch, Though,

Cauli Le Chat

MPL Roving Reporter

New Website News Beat

P.S. "Girls Just Want to Have Lunch" is a music parody by "Weird Al" Yankovic, from his album, Dare to Be Stupid (1985). It parodies "Girls Just Want to Have Fun," recorded by Cyndi Lauper (1983).

About Moi

I am a black, short-haired, so-called "domesticated" cat named Cauli Le Chat. My boxing name is "Kit Cauliflower," because of my hurt ear. Before I retired, I used to hang around outside Mooresville Public Library (MPL) in Mooresville, Indiana. Since retirement, I stay with my friends who work there. I was the official MPL feline roving reporter between 2010 and 2017.